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Header image courtesy of Patisserie Millefeuille
Originally published by Beverly Ngai. Last updated by Mina Chan and Celia Lee.
A quick scroll through Instagram stories will make it abundantly clear that Hongkongers have a serious weakness for eye-pleasing edibles. It’s no surprise then, that our fondness for artfully crafted food has spurred a wave of pâtisseries to open across the city.
Showcasing a wide range of delicate pastries and fanciful cakes, these French-style pastry shops are not only a wonderfully luxurious way to get your sweet tooth fixed, but also Instagram fodder to a tee! Whether you’re looking to impress at an upcoming special occasion or just longing for a sweet nibble that will take you back to the streets of Paris, here are the best pâtisseries in Hong Kong that are worth the sugar rush.
Founded by award-winning chef Lionel Bodros, Pâtisserie Millefeuille is a cosy shop located on Staunton Street. All products are handmade every morning for optimal freshness. Paying homage to French pastries, this pâtisserie offers seasonal gâteaux and, of course, a selection of sweet and savoury millefeuilles. With the crust uniquely crafted in a U-shape to welcome the filling, this millefeuille offers patrons a more convenient and relatively crumb-less experience. The signature snack changes flavours seasonally, with popular past offerings including pistachio raspberry, vanilla hazelnut, and Chocolate Dream.
Two classic desserts—Le Mont Blanc and the lemon tart—are not to be missed, and you can take home a piece of Pâtisserie Millefeuille by picking up some of the hand-made shortbread and biscuits from the shelf. Just be sure to come early, as the items sell out!
Pâtisserie Millefeuille, G/F, 16A Staunton Street, Central
Don’t let its understated address in Lai Chi Kok fool you—La Pâtisserie des Idées has a knack for executing luxurious French pastries and sweets with a level of finesse that captures the chef’s incredible talent, passion, and wealth of pastry experience in the world’s most reputed dessert nations, namely France and Japan.
Outside the cosy little shop, which has a small seating area of around 15 people, you’ll see eager dessert fiends sinking their teeth into all sorts of dainty cakes, tarts, and macarons, but the one item you’ll see at nearly every table (provided that they’ve not all been snapped up already) is the signature pistache framboise—a stunning Sicilian pistachio and raspberry mousse cake covered in crunchy caramelised almonds. Get the regular single-serve size for the perfect afternoon treat or order a whole cake if you’re looking to throw a party or host a special event!
La Pâtisserie des Idées, Shop 224, 2/F, D2 Place One, 9 Cheung Yee Street, Lai Chi Kok
Award-winning pastry maestro Tony Wong has worn many hats over the years: executive chef at Royal Garden Hotel, cookbook author, television host, and, of course, founder of his namesake pastry shop Pâtisserie Tony Wong. With so much on his profile, expectations are sky-high, and it’s safe to say that they are consistently met.
Incorporating a sprinkle of creativity whilst staying true to time-honoured techniques, Wong keeps us on our toes with his innovative creations like rose cakes with chocolate petals or Musang King durian-shaped chiffon cake, but he also has the classics like mango Napoleon and Black Forest down to a science. Plant-based and diet-conscious eaters don’t have to miss out either—there are a number of vegan, keto, and low-sugar options available that are equally decadent!
As one of the city’s most buzzed-about sweet spots, The Mandarin Cake Shop needs no introduction. Although the five-star hotel bakery is not strictly a pâtisserie—it also sells a range of artisanal French bread and savoury treats—the sweet selection is definitely what shines the most here. Presenting a slew of glistening fruit tarts, flakey croissants, and gourmet cakes, you know a whole lot of gluttony is in order the second you walk in.
A must-try is the legendary 1963 Mandarin cheesecake, which oozes rich cheesy flavour and is spiked with a hint of tangy sour cream to cut through the sweetness. Also worth stopping in for are the opera cake, almond croissant, and freshly baked scones with rose petal jam and clotted cream.
The Mandarin Cake Shop, Mandarin Oriental, 5 Connaught Road Central, Central
You come to this Sheung Wan stalwart for one thing and one thing only—tarts! Founded by pastry chef Lou Campagna and Thibaut Carminho, Tartes & Pop was born of a desire to fill the missing gap of good French tarts in Hong Kong, and boy, did they succeed in spades.
Although the shop specialises in tarts, it manages to sneak all of your favourite desserts into its tart-based creations, so whether you’re hankering for crème brûlée, chocolate raspberry, or fresh lime, there’s a tart here to satisfy your craving! A crowd favourite from the permanent menu is the sesame matcha tart, consisting of a matcha-dusted almond sponge cake, black sesame cream filling, and matcha mousse layered on top of a crunchy cocoa shortbread base, but also look out for the exclusive flavour of the month.
Tartes & Pop, 2 Morrison Street, Sheung Wan | (+852) 6597 6667
Before you recoil in horror at the idea of butter-less French pastries, give Bien Caramélisé a try and you’ll wonder why dairy and eggs were ever needed in the first place. Tucked away on the first floor of an unassuming commercial building, this hidden gem of a pâtisserie prides itself on taking classic French pastries like millefeuille, éclairs, tarts, and puffs, and turning them 100 percent plant-based.
Although the menu is on the slim side, every item is honed to perfection—we’re especially smitten with the hazelnut praline Paris Brest and lemon bergamot tart. If you can, try to schedule your visit on weekends when the shop also operates as a tea house, so you can savour the vegan treats with a delicious cup of tea!
Bien Caramélisé, Shop D, 1/F, Hentiff Building, 160 Prince Edward Road West, Prince Edward
Step into this elegant pâtisserie and you might find yourself wondering if you’re in a high jewellery shop. At Butterfly Pâtisserie, rows upon rows of exquisite cakes and confections are showcased in polished glass cases like fine works of art, which indeed they are. What else would you call the stunningly intricate cakes, which are glazed to glossy mirror-like perfection, and adorned with precisely piped icing and delicate sugar flowers?
As one would expect, given its luxurious setting in Rosewood Hotel, the pastries here come at a pretty steep price. To get the best bang for your buck, we would opt for the afternoon tea set for two, which includes savoury sandwiches, scones with clotted cream, the signature Tahitian vanilla millefeuille, and four daily sweet pastries.
Butterfly Pâtisserie, Rosewood Hong Kong, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
First opened in 2010 as a family-run boutique pâtisserie, Paul Lafayet quickly spilt out of its petite location in K11 Art Mall and expanded its presence to seven different locations across the city, becoming a fixture in Hong Kong’s fine pâtisserie scene.
Offering a dizzying array of colourful macarons, artisanal cakes and pastries, it’s easy to get lost in the sea of choices here, but experienced customers know to never leave without an order of the show-stopping crème brûlée, often flaunted as the smoothest and creamiest in town. For those who like their desserts loaded with chocolatey goodness, the chocolate craquelin will send you swooning with its rich dark chocolate layers laced with nutty almond undertones.
Hailing from a family of bakers and pastry-makers, young Pierre Hermé began his journey as a pâtissier apprentice in Paris at the age of 14. Now, his brand Pierre Hermé Paris spans 45 storefronts in 11 countries, globally renowned for its distinctive macarons with one-of-a-kind flavours like isaphan (rose, lychee, and raspberry) and huile d’olive and vanille.
Select the number of macarons you want and take your time perusing the showcases bedecked with these palatable jewels, or purchase them online and have them delivered. For a personal treat, order the Tour Eiffel for a set of four, or share the sweets among friends with as many as 40 macarons in a single box set! For a change of pace, Pierre Hermé also offers an assortment of chocolates, cakes, cookies, and tea.
Pierre Hermé Paris, Shop 2029, IFC Mall, 1 Harbour View Street, Central
Bringing a modern twist to traditional French pastries, Le Dessert draws inspiration from traditional pastry recipes and gives them a distinctly French twist with the generous use of Chantilly cream—a French pastry must-have. Befitting the true Hong Kong lifestyle, many of Le Dessert’s creations are designed with the intention of having on the go.
For a mouthful (or two) of sweetness, opt for the pavlovas, an originally Australasian confectionary that has since been repurposed by Le Dessert’s chefs to be uniquely French. Try the Louis pavlova for this one-of-a-kind dessert with chocolate Chantilly cream and a homemade passion fruit coulis. For a tidier—but no less delicious—treat, go for the jar desserts; we recommend the in-a-jar lemon tart.
Can’t bother to try them in-store? Le Dessert also offers pick-up and delivery services, so you can enjoy them in the comforts of your home!
With Michelin-starred experience under their belts, owners Camille Moenne-Loccoz and Dominique Yau create their pastries every day by hand. Instead of visually complex cakes layered with thick creams and jams in every colour under the sun, Plumcot focuses on down-to-earth delights—croissants, cookies, and danishes.
Created in-house from start to finish from the freshest ingredients, these artisanal baked goods sidestep the bells and whistles widely associated with French desserts with their traditionally simple designs. Journey down to the shop in Tai Hang to try in-store exclusive items or pre-order online for scrumptious cakes. Enjoy the weekend special set of pain au chocolat, canelé, and coffee. For a special occasion, order the classic vanilla millefeuille.
Plumcot, 10A Sun Chun Street, Tai Hang | (+852) 2573 6293
A wanderer, chronic overthinker, and baking enthusiast, Beverly spent much of her childhood in the United States before moving to Hong Kong at age 11 and making the sparkling city her home. In her natural habitat, she can be found baking up a storm in her kitchen, journalling at a café, or scrolling through OpenRice deciding on her next meal.
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